Omaha daily bee., 1887-11-12

glasses. Spies requested water, and SEEM
ingly consumed by a burning thirst swal-
lowed nearly two tumblerB of the pure, cool
liquid. In the Jail office, Deputy Burke was
now passed around amongst the throng and
taking
TICKETS OF ADMISSION,
apparently indicating that the execution was
not far distant. This unusual proceeding
was objected to by some, but oil were COM
PEELED to submit While standing in front of
Engels cell, DR.. Bolton was in danger of be-
coming involved in religious controversy,
| for the condemned man boldly combatted the
| propositions Of the divine Within a few
| minutes of nine, message came from Mrs
| Parsons through bailif applying at the Jail
| for admission The request was sternly re-
| fused.
THE FATAL DOCUMENT.
| At 9:1O a. IN, Chief Deputy Gleason ar
| rived with the fatal document authorizing
the execution. Gleason Immediately went
| into close conference with the sheriff on a
| private apartment that was locked
and bolted at once on the inside.
While they were still consulting,
Spies internal fever had SO increased as to
| induce him to order glass of Rhine wine,
| which was brought to his cell and swallowed
| at a gup A few minutes were then occu-
pied by him in writing autographs for the
| officers attached to the sherif's office.
NINA's PROGRESS BARRED.
| AT about s 80 o'clock Nina Van Zandt and
and her mother took a cab at their residence
| on Huron street and directed the driver to
| proceed to the county Jail. The driver
whipped up his horse and the cab speeded
| southwark toward the Jail. When the cab
reached the line of policemen which blocked
the avenue leading to the Jail the driver
| reined in, but was urged on by the ladies.
| The police began signalling the cab to turn
| back, but the driver obedient to his passen-
| gers, pushed on. AS the cab approached the
ropes with no evidence of an intention Of
stopping, an officer darted forward and,
| throwing his musket up, barred further pro-
gress and as gently as possible informed the
ladies that they could not proceed and could
not be admitted to the Jail. The cabman then
turned about and Nina, breaking into tears,
fell upon her mothers shoulders In this
attitude they were driven homeward Nina
fairly flung herself into the house and could
be heard without sobbing and moaning. Amid
her daughters lamentations Mrs. Van Zandt
sent dispatches to Governor Oglesby and
Captain Black at Springfield.
RAY OF SUNSHINE.
The sheriff and his chief deputy were still
poring over their documents and gloom was
deepening on the face of every one in the
Jail, when a vivid burst of sunshine came
through the topmost windows and went
straight to Schwab's cell. He came to the
bars and blinked, basking in the welcome
light.
The governors decision on the application
for executive clemency was brought to Chi
cago by Governor Oglesby's son. Deputy
Gleason intercepted the messenger on the
train near the city limits The official copy
was at once brought to the Jail by deputy.
| THE LAST APPEAL.
| 1t was just 80 when the information
ticked from the associated press telegraph
the cells, that Captain Black was at
that very moment again pleading
with Governor Oglesby at Springfield. The
message was handed in to Sheriff Matson,
who glanced at it a second and then crum-
pied the paper slowly in his hand. Whatever
the sheriffs thought were, no expression of
their purport crossed his compressed lips.
Five minutes later the sheriff emerged, and
in reply to a chorus Of inquiry said phlegma-
tically that he had mot Just fixed the time as
| yet"
LETTERS AND SPEECHES.
At 10 o'clock Parsons, Fischer and Spies
asked for twenty minutes each on the gallows
in which to make speeches. The sheriff did
| not Immediately return an answer to the
request. Fischer then began singing the
"Marseilles," in which the other prisoners
joined. The manuscripts which Spies, Par
sons and Fischer spent the greater part
of the morning in preparing, were
in part written statements, the contents
of which would not be divulged by any of the
officials. These were delivered into the
hands of Clerk Price who turned them over
to the sheriff and this official locked them in
his personal safe. 1t was stated by the
sheriff that Spies, Parsons and Fischer
have in addition written letters which
he had also locked up securely. Parsons
| letter was addressed to his wife and children,
that of Fischer goes to his wife, but the ad-
dress on that of Spies the sheriff refuses to
divulge. 1t is supposed it will reach Nina
Van Zandt.
The voice of Fischer seemed round and
full, but quivering just a trife. The report
ers pressed close about the door to the cage
and listened till the deep tones died away
into silence. The song lasted full two min
utes. Before 10 o'clock pr. Gray went into
the prisoners cell for second time, bearing
in his hands three wine glasses and bottle
of Jarvis brandy with which to brace up the
men. All Of them partook of the stiumlant.
Adjutant General Vance, of the state mil
ita, came into the jail at 10 o'clock and was
Immediately closeted with the sheriff. The
opinion as to his appearance was divided,
| some thinking it related to some new DISPOSE
tion to be made of the militia, while Others
believed he carried a supplemental message
from Governor Oglesby. About this
time Police Inspector John Bontield
who commanded the police at the haymarket,
entered the Jail looking as grim as he did
within half an hour after famous bomb
massacre. 1t was rumored at 10:15 that the
PROCESSION TO THE GALLONS
would start in eXanctly three quarters Of an
hour.
Fischer continued to make display OF
bravado. Soon after singing the Marseilles
he spoke to Turnkey Stubb in a laughing
good word for you" When Fischer woke VI
this morning he turned to one of the officers
and said: II dreamed about Germany last
night" Then he relapsed into silence fol
quite a long period
Following close upon a telegram from
| Springfield that Governor Oglesby had de
cided once for all, the deputies commenced
at :27, distributing tickets to reporters who
| were to watch the march to the gallows. The
greatest hustle and excitement prevailed in
the Jail Office, but Spies, in his cell, continued
writing uninterruptedly, and the others re
manned equally nonchalant, Notwithstanding
the confusion that marked the beginning o!
| the end.
, ENGELS DAUGHTER
| applied to the sheriff this morning for per
| mission to visit her father and say good bye
| but was refused She was not agitated il
the least and took the refusal in very mat
| ter of fact way.
The rafting of chairs, tables and benches
! | continued for several minutes but by II :0'
!, | there began to fall hush and conversation
, | among the crowd sunk almost to whisper
The bare white-washed walls made
a painful contrast with the darl
brown galows with it's four noosed
ropes dropping ominOusly near thu
| floor. CLEAN of sunshine shooting through
! | the window at this instant fell on a corner o.
the death machine and In slight degree re
| lieved its sombre hue